Florida Enterprise Speaker At Bay EDA

BAY COUNTY-- The "Economic Development Alliance" of Bay County is learning how to stay competitive in the business market.

The team welcomed a member of Florida Enterprise Wednesday morning who advised them on growth opportunities.

One emphasis is our aerospace industry.

The Bay County Economic Development Alliance met Wednesday to talk strategy on how to attract new businesses to the area.

The vice president of Enterprise Florida stepped in to lend a hand.

"Bay County in general has name recognition even throughout the world. Folks know Panama City area," Crystal Sercy said.

Sercy attributes a growing workforce in our area to the quality of life in Panama City.

"Your education system is continually improving. There's technology in various areas across the region that should be touted."

And Bay County can house large aerospace hangars.

"That too is an area that needs to continue to be developed. I spoke a little bit about infrastructure needs so there is a shortage of hangar facility space across the state and it's not just unique to Florida."

And her advice on how to keep the region competetive is already being followed by community leaders.

"Basically she sort of concluded as many of us have in the past that in order for us to attract industry, good high paying jobs here in Bay County, we have to have a good, skilled workforce and we need to have as much infrastructure in place as possible," Allan Bense of the Bay EDA said.

"We need hangars at the airport. We want to focus on having building sites that are ready because companies that come through the state of Florida, they're ready to make a decision," Neal Wade, executive director of Bay EDA, said

Sercy is flying to London on Friday to help bring aerospace aviation supply business to Bay County.

Sercy said Florida battles with the southeast for aerospace and aviation business.

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